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Dr Venkat About Colorectal Cancer
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Peritoneal Cancer Treatment
Peritoneal surface malignancy is a type of cancer found within the space between the organs in the abdomen and the inner lining of the abdomen called the peritoneum, which is normally a thin protective membrane. Most cancers in the peritoneum begin in another part of the body. It is also commonly known as peritoneal carcinomatosis, often caused by the spread of cancer cells from pre-existing cancer.
Causes:
Cancers of the stomach, appendix, colon, rectum, and ovaries are commonly spread to the nearby peritoneum. The pathophysiology of peritoneal malignancy is complex and so is the treatment. Often, a recurrence of abdominal cancer will present as peritoneal cancer.
Types of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies:
Peritoneal Surface Malignancies are classified based on the first location of their occurrence in the body:
- Primary peritoneal cancer starts inside the cells that make up the peritoneum.
- Secondary peritoneal cancer starts elsewhere in your body and spreads to the peritoneum.
The symptoms of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies are categorised as:
Loss of appetite
Feeling of fullness, even after a light meal
Shortness of breath
Nausea or diarrhea
Unexplained weight gain or loss
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Abdominal discomfort or pain from gas, indigestion, pressure, swelling, bloating, or cramps
Constipation
Frequent urination
Rectal bleeding
In addition to asking about symptoms, your doctor and our specialists do a thorough evaluation to review your medical history and conduct a physical exam, which involves examining for abnormalities in the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tube, bladder and rectum. Learn more about our diagnostic tools and techniques for peritoneal surface malignancies:
Biopsy
Biopsy methods are dependent on the type of cancer. A small sample of the suspicious tissue is examined by pathologists under a microscope for signs of cancer to inform your treatment and eliminate the treatments that would not work for your type of cancer.
Paracentesis
In cases where surgery is not possible or ascites could be due to other causes, the doctor may instead remove fluid for examination under a microscope.
Diagnostic imaging
This includes taking scans such as CT scans, PET scans, MRIs or chest x-rays. Using these scans, your doctor can advice a treatment plan that would help you.
- Positron emission tomography (PET)/CT: You receive an injection of a small amount of a radioactive substance, which is taken up by cancer cells. A special scanner creates images that show the highlighted areas to provide details about cancer, especially where it has spread.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI scan uses radio waves and strong magnets to create cross-sectional pictures of your body. We use MRI to examine tumors more closely and check for signs that cancer has spread.
- Computed tomography (CT): These scans use special X-ray equipment to create cross-sectional images inside your pelvic area. CT scans can show the size of tumors and whether cancer has spread.
Lower GI series or barium enema:
With this test, you first receive an enema containing a white, chalky solution called barium. This outlines the colon and rectum on an X-ray. It makes it possible to spot some tumors and other problems.
Often, it is difficult to diagnose peritoneal malignancies as the tiny lesions cannot be detected by any scan. Hence frequently, on clinical suspicion, your doctor may advise a staging or diagnostic laparoscopy to detect any cancer.
The types of standard treatment used to treat peritoneal surface malignancies are:
Regaining the quality of life of a patient recovering from peritoneal surface malignancies can be challenging. At Veritas Cancer Care, we aim to provide our patients with the utmost care and comfort they need during their treatment and remission and improve their quality of life as much as possible. Our team here is dedicated to our patients and, while cancer is a daunting illness, we provide you with all the help and hope you need to recover.
The oncological team at Veritas Cancer Care is headed by Dr Venkat P, a highly-trained surgical oncologist and robotic surgeon, with niche expertise in treating peritoneal surface malignancies. With over 22 years of experience, he has managed around 25,000 oncological cases and performed over 20,000 surgeries. His unique area of interest is the delivery of intra-peritoneal chemotherapy like HIPEC, PIPAC, IP PORT, NIPEC, and EPIC. Being one of the very few surgeons in the country highly trained in the latest treatment procedures such as robotic surgery, ERAS and fluorescence-guided surgery, Dr Venkat is a renowned surgical oncologist with various awards to his credit. At Veritas, we guarantee you will receive prompt care and treatment in his safe and experienced hands.
Veritas Cancer Care is also one of the few cancer teams in Chennai to use the latest methods in peritoneal cancer treatment. Headed by Dr Venkat P, we guarantee you will receive prompt care and treatment in his safe and experienced hands.
